Railway time-signal



(No Model.) 4 sheetssheet 1'.

F. B. IDE.

RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

No. 449,584. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

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F. B. IDE.

RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

No. 449,584. Patented Mar.31,1891.

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F. B. IDB. RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL.

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F. B. IDE. I

RAILWAY TIME SIGNAL I No. 449,584. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

\AATNEEEEE FRED B. IDE, OF TROY, NElV YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO ETTIE M. IDE, OF SAME PLACE, VILLIAM GRIFFIN, OF VEST TROY,AND NATHAN D. IDE, OF

CORINTH, NEV YORK.

RAILWAY TIM E-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,584, dated March31, 1891.

Application file-d December 26,1890. Serial No. 375,855. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that I, FRED B. IDE, of the city of Troy, county ofRensselaer, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in a Mechanism for Automatically Indicating the Time atwhich Railroad- Trains Pass Stations, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a mechanism for automatically indicating inconnection with a clock designating the time of day or night andindicators operated by the clock independently of its ordinary hands todesignate in minutes upon a graduated scale the time at which trainspass the station at which the apparatus is located, the object andpurpose of myinvention being to indicate to following trains the time atwhich a next preceding train had passed, so that succeeding trains mayavoid running too close to preceding trains, and thus avoid the dangersof collision.

My invention consists (as will be more fully detailed hereinafter inconnection with its illustration) in the combination, with a clockconstructed and operated to indicate passing time in the ordinarymanner, of a mechanism operated by a passing train to connect with saidclock and to be actuated bythe latter to indicate in minutes by means ofindicators and figures the interim between the time of the passage of atrain and a succeeding period covering a part of an hour.

My invent-ion also consists (as will be more fully detailed hereinafterin connection with itsillustration), in the sub-combination of the partswhere they perform specific function.

Accompanying this specification to form a part of it there are fourplates of drawings containing eleven figures illustrating my invention,with the same designation of parts by letter-reference used in all ofthem.

Of the illustrations, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the clock and thecase or inclosure in which the clock and mechanism connecting Fig. 1,with that side of the case that is next adjacent to the track facing theView and with the supplemental wheel upon a passing cartruck in. engagement. with the mechanism op erating the connection made with theclock and pointer. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line at :1 of Fig.2, with the timing mechanism and pointer shown as connected with theclock and in shape to indicate the time at which the train which madethe timing connection had passed. Fig. 4 is another section of the sameparts. taken on the line as 0: of Fig. 2, with the timing mechanismbeing operated by the clock and with the pointer in the position shownin Fig. 1, showing that the last train had passed the station fifteenminutes before. Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 00 00* ofFig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the clock and connectedtiming mechanism, with its rear face fronting the view. Fig. 7is asection taken on the line m 00* of Fig. (3. Fig. 8 is a central verticalsection of the cylinder and piston, which latter as actuated by apassing car-truck operates the connection made between the timingmechanism and the clock, with the parts in this figure shown in a 7larger scale than in the other figures. Fig. 9is a perspective of alatch-slide. Fig. 10 isa section taken vertically and centrally throughthe latch-slide and latch; and Fig. ll is a view of the end of thelift-bar which connects with the piston-rod to raise the latch.

The several parts of the apparatus thus illustrated are designated byletter-reference: and the function of the parts is described as follows:

The letter T designates the rails of the track; O, the clock case orinclosure arranged upon a support S, running across the track beneaththe rails. This case orinclosure O is arranged at one side of the track,so that the dial d of the clock C will face at.- right angles to thetrack.

The letter N designates a pit or trough made beneath the rails and atright angles to the track, the support S, before named, forming the topof the pit.

The letter A designates a spring plate, which has a top 1) and verticalsides p which are each notched out centrally at 1')", and which when atrest rise from the ends to the center, as shown by the dotted line 19 ofFig. 2.

The letter I) designates a bar that is arranged between the sides p ofthe springplate A, and down over the sides of which bar the sides ofsaid spring-plate slide when the spring-bar is forced down by a passingcar. This bar and the spring-plate A are shown at Figs. 2 and i.

The letter P designates a piston-rod, the upper end of which passesthrough the bar B and is there secured to the top of the springplate A.

The letter C designates a cylinder in which the piston I is operated, aswill be more fully described hereinafter.

The letter a designates an arm that is rigidly connected to thepiston-rod P at right angles thereto, and at its outer end at a isextended downwardly, and then laterally at a, which lateral extension orlift-bar at its outer end is constructed with a latch-catch to.

The letter L designates a latch-slide, which is shown in perspective atFig. 9 and in vertical section at Fig. 10. This latch-slide is attachedat Z to the side of the pit N.

The letter L designates a latch that is provided with a latch-notch Zand an offset hook Ix, projected through a slot 1", made in the side ofthe latch-slide L, there being a stop 1" made in this slot, with whichthe hook Z engages when down to regulate the distance at which the latchshall descend.

The letter a designates a pulley having a pintle-shaft n secured to theside wall of the pit, and b a chain, one end of which connects with thehook Z on the latch, with the other end of the chain connecting with theend e of the lever E, which at e is pivoted to the side of the pit N.

The letter \V designates a counterpoise arranged upon an arm 6 of thelever E.

The letter E designates a connecting-rod which passes upwardly throughthe slot 6 made in the support S, the lower end of which connecting-rodis pivotally connected at e to the pivoted lever E, and its upper end ate is pivoted to the rack-bar B arranged to be moved in guides g g withinthe case 0.

The letter R designates a rack made at the upper end and upon the sideof said rack-bar within a groove g made in the latter, and the letter Rdesignates another rack made in the side edge of said rack-bar, whichlast-named rack is made in said bar below the rack R.

The letter I designates a pinion having a pintle-shaft t secured to thewall of the case C, which pinion is adapted to mesh into the rack R onthe rack-bar The letter In designates a geared segment that is arrangedto mesh into said pinion I, and this segment is provided with a shaft bto which it is keyed, so as to turn with it, and which shaft has itsbearing in the wall of the case, and where projected through the latteris connected to a pointer J, so that as said rack-bar is moved up ordown said pointer is also moved to turn back and forth.

The letter m designates a gear-wheel arranged to turn on the shaft m andthe letter to a gear-wheel arranged to turn on said shaft m back of thegear-wheelm, as shown by the dotted line (Z of Fig. 6.

The letter m designates a spring-pawl that is arranged on the back ofthe wheel on, and r a ratchet arranged on the front face of the wheel sothat said wheel m maybe rotated in one direction without turning thewheel th The letter h designates a pinion having a pintle-shaft 7L2fixed in the frame F, and this pinion meshes into the gear-wheel 10 andalso into the gear-wheel w, the latter being arraged on so as to turnwith the minute-hand shaft #01? the clock 0 The wheels w and w are to beof the same size and have the samennmher of teeth, so that when actuatedby the pinion h they turn with the same speed, and the wheel m, by meansof its ratehet-and-pawl connection with the wheel m turns with the samespeed as the latter. This wheel 10 on the minute-hand shaft of the clockmakes one revolution an hour and actuates the wheels 10 and m to makethe same time. The wheel on has the same number of teeth as the wheels11: and

As thus made and arranged, the rack-bar B when moved up to the fullextentof its traverse, moves the wheel on 011 its shaft without turningthe wheel lo and as the rack R engages with the wheel on, and rack Ractuated by the latter, meshesinto the pinion I, engaging with thesegment 70, the latter moves the pointer J, so that it will be opposite0 of the dial D. This dial is divided off into four spaces of fiveminutes each, and with the mechanism thus connected with the clock, asthe minute-hand shaft revolves at each minute, it actuates the wheel mto move one tooth, and the rack R by means of its connection with thepinion I, operates the segment 7:, so that the pointer J will move oneminute on the dial D.

To use the apparatus in the night-time and have it designate the time atwhich the last train had passed, there is arranged in the case orinclosure C, in its front face, a glass pane Q,upon which there is acolumn of figures (indicated at Q denoti n gmin utes, which increasefrom five to twenty by an addition of fives. Back of the pane of glassthere is a slide-plate (1, arranged to move in guides G Gfimadc in thesides of the inclosure C, as shown at Fig. 5, said slide-plate beingarranged adjacently to the pane Q. This slide-plate is made to have acentral pane of red glass 1 which is large enough, when opposite eitherof the figures in column Q to show (from the effect of a light placedbehind it upon the bracket Z1) the number at which the small pane isopposite in ared or danger field. This slide-plate (Z is attached to anarm a", that is connected to the rack-bar and projected laterallytherefrom at right angles thereto by means of a ring r on the frameencircling said bar and a set-screw t, as shown at Figs. 3 and 4, so asto be moved up or down with the rack-bar as the latter is operated tomove upwardly to connect with the clock or moved downwardly bythelatter,as before described. As this slide-plate is thus moved down it bringsthe red field opposite the numbers in the column Q in their order. Thuswhen the figure 5 appears in a red field it indicates that a train hadpassed the station five minutes before the observation was made.

The piston-rod P connects with the piston P which latter has aninverted-U form and made with an interior chamber L72. ton is providedwith packing 1), so as to make an air-tight engagement with the innerface of the cylinder 0 The letter i designates a tube connecting withthe chamber 41 formed in the pistonhead, and this tube extendsdownwardly through the cylinder-head 7L" through an opening it.

The letter S designates a spiral spring encircling the tube 23 betweenthe piston 1 and the cylinder-head h as shown at Fig. 8.

[The letter V designates a valve arranged in the chamber v so as to openor close the upper end of the tube 15. This valve V opens when thepiston is forced downwardly within the cylinder and closes when thepiston rises, so that air may enter when the valve is open and beprevented from entering when the piston rises. V

The letter O designates a passage made in the piston-head leading fromthe chamber 2: into the cylinder interior t", and O is a passage-wayleading from the latter through the top head of the cylinder 0 into theouter air.

The letter 5 designates a spiral spring arranged between the valve V andthe top of the chamber 0 and the function of this spring is to insurethe prompt closing of the valve V when the piston rises.

As thus made and arranged, when the piston P is forced down within thecylinder C it is so moved against an air-cushion within the latter andagainst the force of the spring S, the air slowly escaping through anopening 0*, leading from the cylinder 0 into the tube 2, with airentering through the tube i into the chamber Q22, and from thencepassing into the cylinder interior i above the piston through theopening 0 When the piston rises, then the valve V closes and the airwithin the cylinderabove the piston slowly escapes through the openingThis operation of the piston secures an elastic movement without jar orconcussion.

The letter M designates a wheel arranged This pislatter and thepiston-rod P, connected with the plate, with the parts in position, asshown at Fig. 2. When the piston-rod and piston are thus forced down,the laterally-projected arm a is also forced down, as wellas thelatchcatch a thereon and within the latch-slide L, so that saidlatch-catch hooks onto the notch Z" of the latch L When the piston afterbeing thus forced down rises, the engagement of the latch-catch with thelatch raises the latter within the latch-slide, as shown atFig. 3, untilthe bevel?) on the catch a meets with the bevel b at the end of thelatchslide, when the latch slides from off the catch and descends to theposition shown at Fig. 4. \Vhen the latch is being thus raised by meansof its engagement made with the chain and the offset hook Z it pullsupwardly on the chain 1) and carries the latter where it passes over thepulley n to pull down on the lever E to raise the rod E" and therack-bar B to connect the latter with the pinionI and to connect theupper rack on the raek-bar B with the clock, as before described.

The counterpoise \V is constructed to have the apparatus balance on thepivotal connection e of the lever E, so that there will be but little,if any, strain upon the clock capacity to move down the rack-bar B VhileI have shown the dial D as operated to indicate by division an intervalof twenty minutes, the dial may, as to its time indication, be increasedor diminished, as may be desired, by increasing or diminishing thelength of the rack upon the rack-bar and the arc of the segment andincreasing or diminishing the distance of the rack-bar movement. Vhenthe racks engage with the clock, this engagement continues until therack-bar is moved down, so as to cease engaging with the clockmechanism.

Any kind of clock may be used in which there is a minute-hand shaftthatis actuated to make one revolution in an hour, and upon which agear-wheel may be attached to move with the same speed, and by which therackbar may be operated, as 1 illustrate and de scribeit.

As thus constructed and arranged a series of such mechanisms andapparatus may be placed at the side of a railway-track,and the engineerof a passing train by looking at it day or night can tell the time atwhich a preceding train had passed if such passage was made within thelimit expressed upon the apparatus by the figures thereon.

As the connection made by the rack-bar with the clock performs aspecific function in operating the geared segment and pointer, as wellas the sliding plate having the redglass panel therein, 1 do not limitmy invention to these factors, as I arrange and construct them to beoperated to connect by a passing car-truck to the particular means whichthe latter moves to make such connection.

Having thus described my invention,what

ITO

Tclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an apparatus for automatically indicating the time at whichrailway-trains pass stations, the combination, with a clock indicatingtime in the ordinary manner and arranged upon the side of the track, ofa minute dial arranged upon the case of said elockbelow the latter, apointer for said dial, and a rack-ha r constructed with a rack operatedto connect with said clock mechanism by the truck of a passing car, withsaid rack-bar operated by said clock to communicate motion to saidpointer to indicate minutes upon said minute-dial, substantially asshown and described.

2. The combination, with a clock located at the side of a railway-track,of a rack-bar provided with a rack operated to rise and engage with themechanism of said clock by a passing rail-truck and operated to descendby the engagement of said rack with the clock mechanism, substantiallyas described, a translucent panel having 1nmute-designating fig uresthereon and arranged in the front face of the clock and rack-rodinclosure, and a slide-plate having a red-glass panel behind saidtranslucent panel, said slide-plate being connected to said rack-rod tobe moved downwardly by said clock mechanism, substantially as hereinshown and described.

The combination, with a clock located at the side of a railway-track,said clock having upon it a gear-wheel adapted to be moved by itsminute-hand shaft one tooth a minute and to be reversed withoutengagement with the clock mechanism, substantially as described, of arack-bar having a rack at its upper end and constructed to be movedupwardly to engage with said gear-wheel by a passing cartruck andoperated to be moved downwardly by the connection made with saidgear-whcel and its connection with said clock mechanism, a second rackarranged upon said rackbar below the before-named rack, said second rackbeing constructed to engage with a pinion arranged on the clock case orinclosure interior, a dial indicating minutes arranged 011 the front ofsaid clock-case below the clock, and a pointer having a segmental gearon its shaft adapted to mesh into said pinion and be operated thereby toindicate minutes on said dial, substantially as shown, and for thepurposes set forth.

4. The combination, with the gear-wheel 10*, arranged upon andconstructed to be moved by the minute-hand shaft t of the clocksubstantially as describcd, of the pinion 71, having a shaft TL in theclock-fran1c, the gearwheel 11" made with a ratchet-wheel r and arrangedon the shaft; m and adapted tomesh into said pinion, the wheel on, madewith a spring-pawl m and arranged on said shaft in in front of the wheel111 the rack-bar B made with the edge groove and interiorlyplaced rackR, constructed and arranged to be operated substantially in the manneras and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the cylinder 0", arranged at the side of arailway-track, made with the 'ent-passage O, of the piston P having thepiston; rod 1, interior chamber r vent-passage 0*, valve V, the tube 25,having an air-passage 0, the spring S", arranged between said piston andthe cylinder-head 71/, the spring-plate A, connected to the top of thepiston-rod, and the wheel M, arranged on an outrigger-shaft projectedlaterally from a car-truck, substantially in the manner as and to r thepurposes set forth.

0. The combination, with the cylinder of the piston P having apiston-rod I, made with an arm a and constructed to be moved elasticallywithin said cylinder,substantially as described, the spring-plate A,connected to said piston-rod and adapted to be operated by a passingcar-truck, substantially as described, the latch L the rack-bar I3connectin g-rod E lever 1E, made with a counterpoise, and the chain 1),connecting the lever E with the latter, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

7. The combination of a cylinder having a piston that is provided withan arm and constructed to be operated to elastically descend and risewithin said cylinder by the truck of a passing railway-ear, aslide-latch operated by said piston, a clock located at the side of therailway-track, a rack-bar operated to rise and connect within said clockand operated to descend and actuate a timing mechanism by said clock, apivoted lever provided with a counterpoise connected at one of its endsby means of a rod with said rack-bar, and the other end of said leverconnected by a chain with said latch, substantially in the manner as andfor the purposes set forth.

Signed at Troy, New York, this 22d day of December, 1.890, and in thepresence of the two witnesses whose names are hereto written.

FRED 1?. IDE.

\Vitnesses:

\V. 19. HAGAN, CHARLES S. BRl.N'.tN.-&LL.

